Many Raider fans who just saw the depth chart that the Raiders recently released may have a few questions.
One question I asked myself was, where is Terdell Sands?
He isn't even listed on the roster.
Thank God.
This comes as a surprise to some because Sands was expected to remain on the roster, splitting time at nose with Gerard Warren. Because Sands fits two out of three of Al Davis' infamous drafting criteria of "HWS" (height, weight, speed), many suspected the old man would have a say in keeping him.
At 6'7", 335-plus pounds, and often overweight, this D-tackle has been nicknamed "Turtle" Sands, the turd, and numerous other nicknames involving expletives.
Due to his lack of conditioning, subpar play, and character issues, he is often outmatched on the field, leaving Raider linebackers to fend off O-linemen.
Many fans would even blame him for the Raiders' dismal run defense. Since he's been a Raider, the best run defense the team has posted is 22nd.
I will even go as far as to blame Sands for the heat Kirk Morrison takes.
Last year, under Rob Ryan, after a victory over the Broncos, Shane Lechler said a few things about Sands' wife. Even though whatever Lechler said was probably true, Sands proceeded to punch him in the face, reportedly breaking his nose.
Both players continued the season with no punishment. Lechler continued his Pro Bowl year, and Sands continued to suck.
When I heard about this, I figured, hey, one of our worst players nearly injured one of our best...it's time to show this guy the door.
Fortunately for us, Lechler manned up and played.
Sands' inconsistent play has continued recently, as reports from practice have him on his back a few times a day, being bullied by the likes of Samson Satele and even Paul McQuistan.
Unlike Ryan, it would seem John Marshall doesn't put up with overweight, under-conditioned head cases.
Marshall has even gone as far as displacing Sands with Desmond Bryant, an undrafted rookie who has been impressive in camp, and with Ryan Boschetti, an offseason acquisition known for his nonstop motor. Marshall obviously values effort and potential over height and weight.
So what are the Raiders going to do with Sands?
I would suspect they are going to hold onto him until final cuts and maybe try to get a trade out of him. Nose tackles are a very valuable commodity. But unfortunately for the Raiders, only good ones are of value.
So what is Sands worth?
Well, not much right now. Maybe his value will go up if another team faces an injury on its D-line; then his value might increase to a sixth or seventh-round pick.
But as of right now, I'm sure the Raider Nation would take a Big Mac and fries if any team was willing to take this piling heap of dead weight off our hands.
I would like to see what everyone else thinks. Is Sands really as bad as we all thought? What do you think the Raiders will do with him?
